Method of and apparatus for raising sunken ships.



H. E. RAWLINS.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I3. 1918.

1,278,215. I PatenfedSe 0,1918

2 SHEET [ET I.

H. E. RAWLINS. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR RMSING SUNKE-N SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED .l UNE l3. IQIB.

Patent-edSpt. 10,1918

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. dragging HORACE EDMUND RAWLINS, 0F HARRISBURG," rumors;

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FORFRAI SING'SUNKEN SHIPSK Application filedJune 13, 191a Serial No. 239,845.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE E. RlHVLINS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Harrisburg, in the county of Saline and State of Illinois,have invented a new and useful Method of and Apparatus for RaisingSunken ,Ships, .of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto a method of and apparatus for raising sunkenships, one of its objects being to provide simple and eflicientapparatus whereby the hull of the sunken vessel can be properly locatedand subsequently raised, a novel method of draggingbeingemployed fordetermining the location of the hull and for positioning the elevatingcables in engagement with the bow and stern.

Another object isto provide novel means for fastening the lifting cablesto the hull.

A still further object is to provide apparatus for lifting hulls and amethod for loeating them, which do not require the serv ices of a diver.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will. appear .as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter morefully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood thatvarious changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of theparts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings 7 Figure 1 is a. perspective view showing, in diagram,the apparatus used for raising hulls.

Fig. 2 is a View showing, in diagram, how the hull of a vessel can belocated prior to the lifting cables into engagement therewith.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section through one of the clamps of the fasteningmeans.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4l-, Fig. 3.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates floatsor barges of sufficient size and buoyancy to support the hull to beraised and these structures are placed parallel with each other and arespaced apart a distance greater than the beam of said hull. Mounted onthe floats or where they pull along Specification of Letters Patent. 7Patented Sepia-10, 1918. I

barges 1 is a superstructure 2 which bridges the space between sa1dfloats and carries hoisting mechanism including hoisting "ca-' bles 3mounted on suitable guide sheaves 4. and extending to winding to beactuated by engines parts above" mentioned have diagram'and it is to beunder desired construction and arrangement of partscan be employed, itmerely being'essen 3 tial that the lifting or hoisting cables be pro-"vided with intermediate depending'or looped portions adapted tobe'lowered or raised between the floats -l by'paying out or taking'upthe cables at the drums 5 orin any other suitable manner.

In locating asunken hull'and attaching the following hoisting cables 3thereto method is followed r I The ends of a cable 3 OfsuHicientstrength and length are attached to two'boats B. These boats arepropelled along parallel paths withthe cable draggingbetween them,"

When thdcable comes against the hull the drumsb adapted" 6. The variousbeen shown in' stood that any" boats will be "caused to swingtoward eachother and by bringing the boats to positions parallel lines one of thedimensions of the hull is obtained and the cable can then be drawn atright angles to the direction in which the boats were pulling, thus togive the other dimension of the hull. For example, assuming that theboats B are traveling as shown at a in Fig. :2, the cable 3 will comeagainst the hull H and as the boats continue forward they will swingtoward each other to the positions 5 The distance between these twopositions 6 will be the approximate length of the hull and the ends ofthe hull can be thus indicated by placing buoys. The boats B are thencaused to travel through arcs of and to the positions 0 and the distancebetween the lines along which the boats pull while thus located will beequal to the width of the hull. By causing the boats B to pull on thecable 3 while they are located as at 0 they will drag the cable underone endof the hull and buoys may be attached to the cable to locate it.The cable is then left and the large cables 3 are attached to the boatsand dragged under the respective ends of the located hull after whichbuoys are attached thereto. The floating structure is then brought toposition over the hull and the cables 3 are attached thereto. Previousto this, however, a sleeve 7 is placed on each upwardly extendingportion of the cables 8. Each sleeve is adapted to straddle the cabletherein and has a block or shoe 8 to which a hoisting rope 9 isattached. A cam is mounted :tor rotation in each sleeve 7, as shown at10 and has a depending lever 11 revoluble therewith. A cable 12 connectsthe lever ll 01' the sleeve on one side of the depending loop of onecable 3 with the lever of the sleeve on the same side of the otherdepending loop and thus the sleeves on the cables are connected by twocables extending longitudinally of and above the hull. When theconnected sleeves are released, they will slide downwardly along thesides of the loops 0]": cables 3, being lowered by letting out the ropes9. The cables 12 are somewhat shorter than the hull and, consequently,when the cables 3 are hoisted they will pull the cables 12 taut andcause the levers 11 to swing and the cams 10 to press the blocks orshoes 8 against the cables 3, thus holding the sleeves against slidingmovement on the cables. Therefore, as the hoisting of cables 3continues, the portions thereof under the bow and stern of the hull willbe held in engagement therewith and the hull will gradually be raised tothe surface in position between the floats.

What is claimed is l. T he hereindescribed method oi locating andraising hulls which consists in dragging a cable into engagement withthe hull and pulling the end portions into parallel posi- Cc-pies ofthis patent tions to determine one approximate dimeh sion of the hullswinging said end portions through 90 degrees to determine anotherdimension oi the hull, dragging a cable under one end of the hull,dragging another cable under the other end of the hull, lowering tiedevices along said cables to hold them against movement oil of theengaged portions of the hull, and then hoisting the cables and hull.

2, Apparatus for use in raising sunken hulls, including spaced connectedfloats having a hull receiving space therebetween hoisting mechanismmounted on. said floats and including cables having depending intermediate or loop portions, sleeves mounted to slide on the sideportions of the depending loops, a rope connected to each sleeve, cablegripping means within each sleeve, and cable connections between thegripping means in the sleeves on the corresponding sides of therespective loops, said comieclions constituting means for actuatin thegripping means to fasten the sleeves to the hoisting cables when saidcables are drawn taut.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, i ha re heretoaffixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HORACE EDMUND RANLINS.

lVi tnesses Ln ROY REEsE, MIRIAM V. BERRY.

may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ofEatents,

Washington, Di G.

